Improving counterfire operations with enhanced command and control structure

The success of military operations depends on soldiers’ execution of the operation as well as resources used for the operation. However, this does not mean that more men and firepower will ensure victory. Military units, just like any other organization, are collections of distributed elements, and improving the organization or command and control (C2) structure of such elements will ultimately show the true power of more men and resources. This paper presents a case study comparing two C2 structures in a counterfire operation, which is a very realistic scenario in some parts of the world. We modeled each structure with meta-networks and agent-based simulations, and then determined why one structure has a better outcome in the simulation. In particular, we jointly analyze the virtual experiment and network metrics, i.e., centralities, to identify the important resources and human factors. This research provides critical insight and suggestions to reform the C2 structure based on quantitative findings. In terms of the C2 structure, assigning detection units to the decentralized echelon brings about the reduction of the time for the targeting process, while the strengthened gun power for multiple targets is proved to have strong influence from the operational perspective.